Belfast indie act Mucksavage have released their new single, Dirty Chin. We asked front man James Foy the BIG questions . . .
James is the founder, writer, engineer, singer, and guitarist of the band and he wrote Dirty Chin as a subconscious way to process the grief of losing his uncle.
Careful to keep the song from being drenched in sadness, he aimed for a hopeful tone and recorded the track with some of his favourite local musicians, including Caolan McAuley on guitar, Cleo Collyer-Greer on bass, and Aidan Rols on drums.
Tell us three things about yourself . . .
My name is James Foy (frontman of Mucksavage), NI singer-songwriter extraordinaire Foy Vance was named after my granddad, and I have a picture of my cat Duffy tattooed on my arm because she's the best thing in the entire world.
How would you describe your music?
I struggled with this question for an eternity when starting the band because our music covers a rake of genres, but we've settled on "bedroom bop rock" because a lot of our songs are recorded in my bedroom, and they're absolute bops.
Who are your musical inspirations?
Pixies are a massive influence on how I write and appreciate music, and I still don't think I've ever fully recovered from the first time I heard Vamos as a teenager; I couldn't believe people were allowed to make music like that and it opened up all these mad new possibilities for how I could write songs. ABBA were always on in my house growing up and really solidified how important a good melody was for me. Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fame is probably my favourite lyricist and I sometimes lose sleep over the fact I'll never be able to write a song like him :(
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I'm sitting in my car answering these questions and I'm wondering if I should lie about this one! The first proper show I ever went to was the 2008 Kerrang Tour gig in the old Mandela Hall building in Belfast; it was a 16+ show and I was a 12-year-old. The bouncers took one look at me and laughed, so I walked back to my dad's car defeated. Thankfully my dad marched me back up to the door and promised the bouncers he'd sit in the foyer all night to make sure I didn't die. I then proceeded to almost die 10 minutes later while Bring Me The Horizon played. It was incredible!!!
What was the first record you ever bought?
Here's another question I'm considering lying about. The first record I ever bought with my own money was the 2001 multi-platinum masterpiece World Of Our Own by national treasures Westlife. I was absolutely obsessed with their version of Uptown Girl. I stuck it on halfway through answering this question in fact, and it still tickles my brain in just the right way. Unbelievable album.
What's your favourite song right now?
Well of course it's the debut single and overnight global sensation Dirty Chin by Belfast sweethearts Mucksavage. My second favourite would have to be this mad Japanese song a friend of mine introduced me to called Mayonaka no Door/Stay With Me by an artist called Miki Matsubara. I have no idea what she's saying for most of the song, but I suppose if she listened to our music she wouldn't understand a word I was saying in my dulcet Belfast tones either.
Favourite lyric of all time?
I can't pick a favourite sentimental lyric right now because there are too many to choose from, but my favourite lyric that makes me laugh is from the sublime song What I Got. Singer Bradley Nowell says the line "I can play the guitar like a motherf***in' riot" and then proceeds to play the most mid-solo I have ever heard in my life and I can't cope with it. What makes it funnier is that I read that Bradley didn't even play the part on the record and had a session guy do it but I've never been able to verify that. I understand the irony, coming from someone who can barely play guitar themselves!
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
World Of Our Own from the 2001 multi-platinum album of the same name by Westlife. That or something off Abbey Road like You Never Give Me Your Money. If I could cheat I'd say the ending medley from Abbey Road because it gets me every time I listen to that record. Or maybe some MJ. I'm not great with commitment and this question is giving me anxiety.
Where can people find your music/more information?
You can find us on all reputable and not so reputable social media sites and streaming platforms! We are @mucksavagetheband on Instagram, which is where we're most active, Mucksavage on Facebook and YouTube, and MucksavageBand on Twitter (I refuse to call it X).
Alan Corr
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